9/21/2014 Welcome: Human Perspective vs Divine Perspective: Milton's Paradise Lost Book IX

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Sunday, 21 September 2014
Human Perspective vs Divine Perspective: Milton's
Paradise Lost Book IX
One of the major changes Renaissance and Reformation brought in socio-cultural life of Europe
was the paradigm shift from God-centric world to human-centric one. The renewed interest in
Humanism decentered God and replaced (Hu)Man at the center of the Universe. If all the walks
of life were affected, how can literature remain aloof? All those 'stories' in scriptures (mainly The
Holy Bible) which were said from the Divine perspective were retold from Human perspective.
Some of the narratives seemed telling the stories from the Divine perspective, but, actually, they
were not.
Let us try to explore this hypothesis. We will take bird's eye view of 'Genesis' from The Holy Bible
and Book IX from Paradise Lost. John Milton proposed in 'Argument' to 'justify the ways of God to
men'. In fact, he moves on the justify '(Hu)Man's ways in this world'.
In 'Genesis', the 'Fall' is narrated from God's perspective. Obviously, God is the center of Bible.
The characters of Adam and Eve are flat, lifeless and mere puppet. They do not have any
emotion or feeling or voice. The Satan-Serpent tempted Eve, Eve tempted Adam and the Fall
happened. God emerged and punished all three. Many questions remained unanswered in the
God's Justice.
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Human Perspective vs
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Paradise Lost Book IX
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9/21/2014 Welcome: Human Perspective vs Divine Perspective: Milton's Paradise Lost Book IX
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If Satan used serpent's body to harm Adam, Eve and Eden, why should it be punished
instead of Satan:
"Because you have done this, cursed are you above
all cattle, and above all wild animals upon your belly you shall
go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put
enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed
and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise
his heel." (God in Genesis)
If Eve is to be punished for her 'disobedience', why should her children also be
cursed: "I will put enmity between... your seed and her seed". (God). To curse Eve
to multiply her pain in childbearing is not fair way to punish her.
"I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet
your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." (God)
If Adam shares the guilt, he is not fairly well judged and punished. He seems to be in
God's good book:
"And to Adam he said, "Because you
have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the
tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,'
cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it
all the days of your life;thorns and thistles it shall bring forth
to you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. In the sweat
of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you
shall return." (God)
Well, the entire story of Genesis is quite obviously, God centric. It is narrated from Divine
perspective. It does not take care of Adam or Eve or Serpent's perspective.
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9/21/2014 Welcome: Human Perspective vs Divine Perspective: Milton's Paradise Lost Book IX
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When we come to John Milton's Paradise Lost (esp. Book IX), we realise that the same story is
told from Human perspective. Seemingly, it tries to justify ways of God to man, whereas, in
reality, it retells the story from Human perspective. Let us see, how it happens.
There are two major instances where we find the human perspective governing the plot of Book
IX.
Firstly, Eve is responsible for disobedience and thus Fall of man. Her wily act is that of
touching and tasting the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Nevertheless, she is
presented with an intention to act. This giving an intention to act is where Milton brings
in human perspective. Eve intention to taste the fruit was to gain 'knowledge', to be
equal to Adam, to know good and evil as God seems to know it all, to be superior to
Adam 'for, to be inferior, who is free'? She wanted to be 'free'. She wanted to exercise
her free will and reason which is gifted by God. With this clarity in mind, she does
what she does. She is human being and thus, acts like human being. Milton is a poet.
The poet stands in favour of humans rather than God. Unknowingly, perhaps, Milton
redeems Eve by giving her intentions which are quite noble and unproblematic.
Secondly, the act of Adam. Adam is also driven by human emotion:
"Should God create another Eve, and I
Another rib afford, yet loss of thee
Would never from my heart. No, no! I feel
The link of nature draw me: flesh of flesh,
Bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state
Mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe."
(Book IX, Paradise Lost)
His intentions are not tempted or forced upon him. He, after deep thinking, decides to be on the side of Eve
rather than God. It is 'Love' - the human emotion - which drives him.
We can read the character of Satan also being driven by human emotion.
If inferior, Who is Free?
Adam's love for Eve was genuine and selfless
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9/21/2014 Welcome: Human Perspective vs Divine Perspective: Milton's Paradise Lost Book IX
http://dilipbarad.blogspot.in/2014/09/human-perspective-vs-divine-perspective.html 4/5
Posted by Dilip Barad at 01:05
Labels: adam, divine perspective, eve, Fall, Genesis, holy bible, Human perspective, milton, Paradise Lost, satan
Reactions: funny (0) interesting (0) cool (0)
But what will not ambition and revenge
Descend to? Who aspires must down as low
As high he soared, obnoxious, first or last,
To basest things. Revenge, at first though sweet,
Bitter ere long back on itself recoils.
Let it; I reck not, so it light well aimed,
Since higher I fall short, on him who next
Provokes my envy, this new favourite
Of Heaven, this Man of Clay, son of despite,
Whom, us the more to spite, his Maker raised
From dust: spite then with spite is best repaid."
(Book IX, Paradise Lost)
These so called deadly sins like 'ambition', 'envy'. 'revenge' and 'spiteful' which Satan represents are quite
human. No human can deny absence of these rather negative emotions in the breast of this Man of Clay.
Therefore, Satan is also presented with human perspective.
Literary writers, however, hard they try, can't be on the side of God or religion at the cost of humans.
Human beings, with all their virtues and vices, are the raw material of literature. Literature can't exist if it
does anything at the cost of human emotions and feelings. It is made by, made for and made of human
beings. The human perspective is not one of the perspective of literature, it is the 'only' perspective of
literature and using it as prism, it reflects rainbow of perspectives.
Works Cited:
Holy Bible, King James Bible. 20 Sept. 2014. <http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Genesis-Chapter-1/>
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. 20 Sept. 2014. <http://www.bartleby.com/4/401.html>
Satan and found The Serpent subtlest beast of all the field
Humanity reaching out to Divinity
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9/21/2014 Welcome: Human Perspective vs Divine Perspective: Milton's Paradise Lost Book IX
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Dilip Barad 21 hours ago - Department of English (MKBU) (General Information)
Sem 1:
The last question we discussed on Saturday after reading original text
(Book IX of Paradise Lost), is blogged here. . .


1 Reply
Dilip Barad 21 hours ago - Shared publicly
Human Perspective vs Divine Perspective: Milton's Paradise Lost Book IX
The Human Perspective and the Divine Perspective One of the major
changes Renaissance and Reformation brought in socio-cultural life of
Europe was the paradigm shift from God-centric world to human-centric
one. The renewed interest in Humanism decentered Go...
+1
2
1


1 Reply
Dilip Bhatt 13 hours ago - Shared publicly
Read your blog post. Impressive. Informative. Quotes are also appropriate
and meaningful. Thanks for your nice appreciation. I'm sure it will be useful
to many students and teachers.
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1
1

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